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Since it seems unlikely I'm going to happen across a nice quality ophicleide,


I think the saxhorn basse has varied somewhat over the years, with the general tendency to become a little fatter overall. This is a Bb Couesnon Monopole. The low range is squirrelly but it's there, higher up it of course sounds more or less like a euphonium but dare I say with a little more "core." For me it could use a fifth valve, which one sees occasionally, 3+2.

Of course you're naturally wondering "how are the false tones?" Yes, it does support false tones - probably better than anything I've played. I haven't had the thing for a whole 24 hours yet, so my evaluations are subject to this or that caveat.

Anyway, for more compelling exponents of the saxhorn, I've elsewhere mentioned Opus 333, but here's another treat if you have headphones on, the François Thuillier Elephant Tuba Horde https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo3ZDL-vYKk. It's near an hour of tuba family; if you aren't up for the whole thing, there's a nice spot where saxhorns alternate with a euphonium at 31:40, and then at the end for the chords, at 53:00. Also for fans of the bell front baritones, 42:00.

Very cool.

Amado Water key...

Seriously though, very cool old horn. Nice find.

After a little more experience, maybe not so much with the false tones. I kind of come and go on the tone that comes out, but the pitch is awkward - kind of wants to be 1/2 step lower than I'm used to, but moreover just kind of a pitch free zone as far as the instrument is concerned.

It's heavier than I expected, don't know the weight but I'm feeling it in my left arm.

The valve caps screw into the casing - i.e., male threads.

3rd valve is normal minor third with the valve slide mostly in, but the slide is just long enough for the reportedly traditional major third, an interesting variation in the absence of a fifth valve.

Congratulations to this find! And welcome to the club, I have the same one in C. Built like a tank and very powerful tone, and yes, the intonation reminds of the ancestor, the ophicleide. Funny is, I have a similar in Bb which is very light and delicate, a totally different horn, but also very lovely to play and both of nearly the sam age, made in 1978 (Bb) and 1983 (C). Couesnon made a variety of different designs in the last 150 years. And they are the last company which offers a new 5 valve saxhorn.
Used 5 valve horns are not easy to find, it took me two years to find a proper one (and in this time I found a lot of nice 4 valve horns, which I now rarely play!)

There was a C model available more locally, that I had my eye on initially, but its owner didn't seem to be entirely ready to part with it. Bb suits my purposes anyway - and I gather the C version is sometimes converted to Bb with an extension in the main tuning slide. I have a Courtois T2-S mouthpiece.

Tuning the 3rd valve down to major third does somewhat make up for the missing 5th valve, and it isn't awkward at all - on the whole, it seems like same notes with fewer valves.

Whatever that water key is, I don't like it much.

Whatever that water key is, I don't like it much

I tried to use it when I got the horn, it got stuck. I never used it again! It's an Amado, not the most reliable invention, but some trumpet players like them.